Ridge breaker



C. T. RAY.

RIDGE BREAKER.

APPLICAUQN FILED MAY ls, 1919.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. T. RAY.

RIDGE BREAKER- I APPLICATION FILED MAYIG, I9I9- 1,4'12,1 35. Patented Apr; 11, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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C. T. RAY.

RIDGE BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1919.

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Lunirse 1.saai?sslA earsur orriacgsf CHARLES T. RAY, OELoiJrsvTLLEfKENTUcKY, AssIGNOE TOB. E.l AVERY AND sONs yOE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, a CORPORATION OE KENTUCKY.

yRIDGE EEEAKEE..v f

'To all 107mmt may com-era Be it known `that l', CHARLES T. RAY, a citizen of the vUnited States, residing at rLouisville, Ain the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new andV useful Improvements in Ridge Breakers, of which the followingV is arspeci.- fication. Y.

In certain dry sections of the country it liasbeen customary, in orderto conserve the rainfalls, between harvestrand replanting, to

produce furrows about three feet apart: by means of a middle burster, orl double moldboard.plow,.the soil from the furrows being thrown up by the plows into ridges between the furrows.l These ridges areleft for a greater or lesser period of'v time and arevthen thrown back into the .furrows by means VOf-ridfre breakers or ridire biisters )revious to replanting, or replowing the soil for replanting. The ridge breakers .which have been proposed are of two different types, lto wit, singlei row: and double row, respectively. ln the so-called double row ridge'breakers hitherto proposed, the runners employed to support the implement havev been so correlated as to traverse the saine furrow or trench in the same travel of ployed to'break .the ridges, i. e., return the loose soil of which they have been formed to the 'furrows from which they came, have consisted of two forward pairs of dis rs and two rearward pairs of disks.: In the operation of the implement, Yits' successive travels are in alternate furrows The two forward -pairs of disks are'adjustably mounted .on a

transverse shaft or supporting bar andare arranged on opposite' sides of the pairs of runners and are set to throw' the soil in oppositedirections, i. e'one yforward pair ofy disks throws the soil in one ridge into the furrow on one side ofthe furrow beingtraversed by the runners and the other pair of disks'throws-soilV from another ridge into the furrow on the opposite side of the fui'- row being traversed by vthe runners. The

two 'rearY pairv of disksl are adjustably" mounted on opposite ends'ofa supporting bar or shaft and' are arranged closer to theV runners than the forward pairs of disks and a disks tol be in turn completed Pinthe next specifiation of Leftersratent. -Ja-imdy Api, 11', V1922,

Application ined May is,

41919. Serial Bla-297,508.V

the correlation of the parts'is such that in p lished vby the` rear z disks, :while the filling ofthe furrow yon oneside thereof is completedgby one pair. of yforward dislnsvand f 'a i the filling of -the furrowfon the other side is commenced 'by the otherpair of forward traverse of. therimple'nient.

This invention' relates to improvementsin yridge` breakers .of rthe double. row typefand has for its important purposes .the removal ofA certain disadvantages thereof. I-.n'fthe accomplishment of the present purposeswtlie-` runners,'or other-suitable means employed to support the implement, are vso arranged that they traverse-'two furrows, onesupport `.in each furrow,inthesametravel ofthe implement, and-the ,furrow filling disks, orl other means employed inlieu thereofare so Y' arrangedv 'thaty therezwill be complementary .filling elements on `opposite-sides ofthe longitudinal line of-each runner o'rsupport, .the complementary :fillingelements associated with one runner-co-operating to fillithe furrow; traversed by said runner Vor support,

j and the, complementary filling elements asthe implement and the disks usually em-V sociated with the'other runner or support cooperating to fill the furrowtraversed by the of` the implement. Thilo I recognizeY the ..85 latter, all intheone operation SOrtraverse fact that. any suitable support may be employed,fl prefer to userunners for this purpose, and similarly Vwhile 'I 'refcognize thei fact `that other styles'of furrow` filling elements than rotarydisks may be employedto fj Amove the loose -soilA from the ridgesintothe furrows, yet I prefer-.to employ-such disks for' this 1iurpose'. When disks are* employed as the furrowV filling elements, the inside disks, i.l e., those between thefrunners or sup- K ports,'are so 'arragned that the disk or.- disks for, throwing the .soilvinto'A one furrow `will.

ing 'surfaces maybe so'. disposed that each' can work up vto and slightly beyond a longif tudinal line'between the runners and hence' Vslightly* beyond' the center of the lridge,

thereby taking all of the soil from' the ridge,

without:interference l one withY another."

Otherwise the center of the ridge would be left untouched, thereby depriving thefurrows of soil required to ll the same properiy and leaving an excess of soil in the space between thel furrows.

ln the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig 1. is a plan view: Fig 2 is a side elevation: Fig 3 is a rear elevation of the means for filling one furrow, on a larger scale ythan Figs 1 and 2; Fig 41 is a transverse section on the line 1 4 F ig 1, on a larger scale than F ig 1, viewed from the front toward the rear.

The supports which l prefer to use are formed of ,two runners, marked 10 and 11 respectively, extending longitudinally of the implement. These runners are so spaced that one traverses one furrow and the other traverses the neXt adjacent furrow in the same travel of the implement. They are suitably connected with keach other, the

Y means employed for this purpose preferably consisting of a front transverse member 12 and a rear transverse member 13. The rear transverse member 13 is preferably em ployed to support the seat 14 which is thus disposed between the runners and consequently between the furrows, 'the standard 141n of the seat being in such case suitably connected at its lower end to the member 13 between the runners 10 and 11. The front transverse member should be such as to serve as Crusher board, for breaking clods. It will be noted that the runners 10 and 11, Crusher board 12 and member 13 constitute the frame of the implement and that this frame is adaptable to traverse twoy furrows and to sup-port the elements by which both said furrows are filled at the same operation with the same number of runners heretofore required when both runners are arranged to traverse the same furrow in one travel of the implement. lThe transverse members 12 andV 13 do not project beyond the'sides of the runners to enable them to support the ridge breaking and furrow'filling disks in position to act on ridges between the furrows traversed by the runners: in fact, the ridge breaking and furrow filling disks in the present embodiment are carried by the runners instead of by said members.

The connection between the runners 10 Vand the opposite ends of the transverse members 12 and 13 are preferably of such a nature that the distance between the runners may be Varied to accord with the distance between theY furrows within which they are to operate, it being understood that while these furrows are ordinarily about three feet apart, yet they need not be exactly that distance in all cases. A suitable means for permitting such adjustment of the runners and for holding them {iXedly in their adjusted relation is shown in the drawing. The front transversemember 12 is illustrated as being secured to the runners by lag screws lwhose stems extend through slots 16 in the member 12. The rear transverse member 13 isfshown as having one of its ends secured to the adjacent runner (10) by brackets 17,1721, on opposite sides of the runner and U-bolts 18, the ends of the VU- boltsl being threaded and provided with nuts 18a which may be slackened to loosen the bolts. The other end of the transverse member 13 is shown as being mounted between laterally eXtending portions of brackets 19 and 20, and members 21 and 22. The brackets 19 and 2O are secured to opposite sides of the runner 11 and the members 21 and 22 are bolted to the brackets 19 and 2O and carryV quadrants hereinafter described.

For iillingthe furrow traversed by the runner 10 I prefer to employ a plurality of discs 25 and 25a on one side of said runner and a like plurality of discs 26 and 26a on the othel1 side of the runner; and for filling the furrow traversed by the runner 11, l employ a like series of disks 25, 25a, 26, 26a.

The respective pairs of disks 25 and are preferably mounted to rotate upon shafts 27 and the Vrespective pairsvof disks 26 and 26a are similarly preferably mounted to rotate on shafts 28. The shafts 27 and 28 for one set of disks overlap each other preferably substantially in line with and VVrearward ofthe rear end of the runner 10 and similarly the shafts 27 and 28 of the other set of disks overlap each other preferably substantially in line with and rearward of the runner 11. The overlapping, inner, ends of each pair of shafts 27, 28 are pivoted upon a bolt or other suitable element 29 carried by a slidable member 30. Each member 30 traverses a groove in a block 31, having members which are pivoted thereto and are formed withy eyes 32 and 33,through which the shafts 27 and 28 extend. (See Fig. 3). Each slidable member 30 is connected by a link 34e, shown best in Fig. 1;

Vwith a lever 35 by which it is adjusted in the direction of the length of the runner, 10 or 11, to which itis applied. rFhis ad-V justment changes the angular relation of the discs on Yopposite sides of the runner` with respect to each other andV to the runner, to suit the varying conditions which arise 1n the operation of these implements.V

To hold the slidable member and conse-V quently the discs in adjusted position a quadrant 37 and latch 38 are employed. The latch 38 is connected with a handle V38a as usual in the implement art.

YIn order to adjust the depth of penetration of the disks into the ridge and to adjust them above the runners, the latter adjustment being a transport position, means are provided by which the blocks or members 31,

respectively, with the elements carried thereby may be raised and lowered and heldin various positions between their highest and lowest extremes. AAs these means are duplil and firmly support said members. Uprights 42, pivoted at their lower ends on a horizontal axis indicatedat 43, have their upper Y ends connected by a forwardly extending link 44 to an adjusting lever 45. The upperrends of the uprights are connected to the members 31 by. rearwardly extending members 46 whose lower, rear, ends are pivoted to the-member 31 at 46a. The lever 45 Y carriesa latch 47 having a handle 471,said

latch engaging a quadrant 48. Thus when the lever is movedv forwardthe block or member 31 is elevated and-when-said lever is moved rearward the block or member 3l is lowered. V

The mechanism for filling the furrow traversed by the runner l0 and the mechanism for filling the furrow traversed by the runner 11 may be of identical construct-ion, but the inner disk 26 of one runner, as 11 for example, is arranged in advance of the corresponding disk 26a, of the other runner, and in such relation with respect to the central line of the ridge so as to leave no portion of the ridge between the runners untouched. rThe runner 11 in such case is shorter than terminates in advance of a transverse line inl tersecting the rear end of the runner 10.

In addition to the adjustment of the runners to accord with the space between the furrows within which they are to operate itv is preferred to mount the disks -so that they may be adjusted longitudinally Yof their respective. supporting shafts- 27 and 28. This its runners have been adj ustedin'accord with Vthe adjustment to which the lister bottoms were set, will always traverse the furrows and the disks will be maintained in such relation to the furrowsv that the complete removal of the ridges and the proper filling of the furrows will thereby be assured. There are other important advantages following the particular construction herein described as will be apparent-to those familiar with the art. In a general way itis statedthat the construction is simple, durable and may be easily adjusted and operated with a minimum of power.

Having thus described the invention, vwhat I believe to be new and desire to. secureby Letters Patent, is :-v

l. ,In a multiple ridge breaker designed4V for levelling listed ground, a frame comprising a plurality of supporting. elements adapted to travel in'adjacent valleys between ridges, and earth moving elements f carried laterally to either side of said supporting elements for completely filling the valleys traversed by` said supporting Yelements, the earth movingelements operating upon the straddled ridge being out of transverse alignment. c y A 2. In a multiple ridgebreaker for-levelling listed ground, a` frame comprising supporting elements adapted'to -travel, in adjacent valleys between ridges, and cross members adapted to yhold said supporting elements rigidly spacedapart, and earth mov.- ing elements. carried byeach kof said supporting elements laterally of both sides thereof and designed to move earth from adjacentridges to completely'fill the valley traversed by said supporting element, the earth moving elements operating upon adjacent strad- Y dled ridges being out of` transverse alignment. f Y

elling Vlisted ground, a vframe comprising supporting Y elements of varying length adapted to travel inthe valleys between ridges .and cross members holding said supporting elements Vrigidly spaced apart, and earth moving elements carried laterally to each side of each of said supporting elements to move earth from adjacent ridges to completely fillfthe valley traversed by said supporting element, the Vearth moving, elements between the supporting elements be.- ing staggered, whereby intermediate ridges are loperated upon successively andA rcom-` pletely reduced lto a level'condition. A Y 4. In a multiple ridge breaker designed for levelling listed ground, a pair of'runners,.one of'which is longer than thel other,rv means for holding them rigidlyin spaced relat-ion comp-risinga ridge capping plate, and

3. In armultiple" ridge breaker `for lev-v ridge levellingv elements carried bysaidvrunr ners. Y

In a multiple ridge vbreaker designed forlevelling listed ground, a pair of runners,

one of'v which is longer. than the other, means for connecting them rigidly in spaced rela.-

tion comprising a ridge capping plate extending laterally thereof, ridge breaking elec ments supported to the rear and laterally of said runners comprising` revolving disks CHARLES T. RAY.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature. 

